1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system, a relay server, a processing device, a print system control method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A content print system in which a print instruction is transmitted from a client to a server and the server received the print instruction converts the content to be printed into print data has been proposed. A cloud computing has been attracting attention as one of system configurations for providing service from a server to a client.
A main feature of the cloud computing is that data conversion and data processing are executed in a distributed manner using many computing resources so that requests from many clients are processed in a simultaneous manner. At present, too many vendors provide various types of services by realizing Web services on a cloud computing environment (hereinafter referred to as “cloud”) that realizes the cloud computing.
Among vendors who provide services on a cloud computing environment, Google (registered trademark) is a notable vendor. Google (registered trademark) not only establishes many large-scale data centers so as to provide services in cooperation with devices but also develops a data communication structure between devices and services. For example, Google (registered trademark) has developed a data communication structure for providing services in cooperation with image forming devices and has disclosed an interface for providing data communication between the cloud computing environment prepared by Google (registered trademark) and image forming devices. In this system, the image forming device receives a print request from a service and executes printing. A Web application polls the service to thereby acquire a change in the print status.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-196054 discloses a method in which a print instruction and information for controlling printing are received from a client in a service allowing a server to generate print data, and a server generates print data based on the information for controlling printing. With the aid of the method, a user who is a client can transmit print data suitable for an image forming device without installing any printer driver on his/her PC.
However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-196054, it may be difficult for a server (e.g., print service) to provide an appropriate print setting. In general, a print service generates a print setting screen based on capability information about an image forming device (capabilities or the like to be described below), where the capability information is represented in XML format or the like. In other words, a print service reads a function which can be provided to a user as print settings from capability information about an image forming device, and represents the read function on a general purpose screen. Thus, when the number of print setting items is many because of an image forming device with multi-function capability, the setting items are not displayed in a hierarchical manner or in a group on a print setting screen provided by a print service to a user. Consequently, considerable time and labor are required for a user to read the screen and make a setting thereon. Also, when the print service cannot execute the “prohibition processing” for print settings, a user himself needs to select a combination of setting items so as not to cause any unnecessary conflict, resulting in a burden on the user.
In order to eliminate considerable time and labor of a user or a burden on a user upon making such print settings described above, a method for making print settings using a batch setting function may be contemplated. In the print setting method using a batch setting function, a print service displays previously-prepared composite settings as print items for a batch setting function on a print setting screen. In other words, the print service displays a batch setting screen. When a user selects print items for the desired batch setting function on a batch setting screen, the print service collectively changes the settings of the print items. However, when the print service is not batch setting function-enabled, the print service cannot provide a batch setting screen to a user.